Strategic thinking is one of the most important soft skills that every leader seeks to acquire and develop. It is an ongoing and evolving process that determines the way you draw conclusions and make decisions. It is the ability to think outside the box, to imagine new solutions to old problems, and to see opportunities that others may miss.Possessing strategic thinking skills will undoubtedly be a distinct weapon in your arsenal in this competitive job market. In today’s article, we will learn about these skills, their importance, and how to acquire and apply them in your practical life to achieve the success you aspire to.
What is strategic thinking?
Strategic thinking is defined as a mental process carried out by an individual in order to achieve a goal or set of specific goals in a specific game or any other endeavor, as it is a cognitive activity that generates new ideas. Strategic thinking can be practiced individually or collaboratively, as this collective strategic thinking has proven effective in enabling proactive and creative dialogue and finding appropriate and renewed solutions to the various problems facing institutions and companies.
What is the significance of strategic thinking abilities?
Adopting a strategic mindset is important for executives tasked with increasing profits, satisfying customers, and retaining talent in companies and organizations. In order for these companies to maintain their place in the competitive labor market, they must chart a clear path for their business, taking into account the possibility of changing it if necessary, bearing in mind that this change may occur within a very short time. In addition to their importance in keeping your company on the right path to success, mastering the art of strategic thinking increases your efficiency and strength as a leader, as these skills help you to think logically and choose the fastest path towards achieving your goals. Here are some of the most important benefits of acquiring and developing strategic thinking skills:
Develop an open mind.
People often approach problems with a closed mindset, meaning they approach the problem with prior solutions in mind. This is due to their belief that the previous success of this solution guarantees its success this time as well.
What many people don’t realize is that we live in a changing world, and what was considered a workable solution yesterday may not work today. Therefore, adopting a strategic thinking mindset will make you more open and thus more able to come up with innovative, more effective solutions.
constantly wondering
When you start thinking strategically, you will stop taking things for granted. And you’ll begin to doubt yourself before making any decisions.which makes you a more flexible person and more able to keep pace with the changes around you.
Comprehensive understanding
Strategic thinking forces you to look at a specific problem or situation from different angles in an effort to find the optimal solution that will bring you the best results. This gives you a deeper awareness of and a broader view of everything around you. It allows you to evaluate the solutions before you and know the pros and cons of applying each of them.
When you break out of traditional ways of thinking and problem-solving, the result will be rewards and successes that you couldn’t have previously because of the limited way you did things. When you think strategically, you challenge assumptions and focus on finding resources, developing opportunities, and adding value to everything you do.
Steps to strategic thinking
The strategic thinking process includes three basic steps:
The first step: Ideation
Ideas are the soul of strategic thinking. Everything we see, touch, hear, or taste comes from ideas. The concept of “concept building” refers to the process of brainstorming new ideas and finding out which ones have the greatest potential impact on the success of the business.
In order to build effective ideas with a strong impact, be sure to rate each idea you come up with using the PIES scale, which is a four-letter word where each letter symbolizes a specific characteristic, as follows:
- The letter P is short for potential: the power of an idea and its potential to bring about positive change.
- The letter I is short for Importance: that is, how important this idea is to your work or life.
- The letter E is an abbreviation for Ease: How easy or difficult is it to implement this idea on the ground?
- The letter S is short for Score: that is, the degree you give to this idea of 10.
Give each of your ideas a score out of 10 for each of the four attributes above, then add them together to get a PIES score.
Then you can prioritize your thoughts depending on their degree. Whereas, the higher its degree, the higher it has priority over others because its success rate is higher than others’, and even if it does not succeed completely, you will have evaluated the idea well before investing in its implementation and consuming resources for that.
The second step: is strategic planning.
After I came up with the new ideas and arranged them according to their priority and degree, it is now time to turn these ideas into plans and strategies. Here, external or internal factors that may affect the success of ideas must be taken into consideration.
External factors may include prevailing economic and political conditions or social and technological changes. While internal factors include customer needs, organization structure, etc. You can use any of the following frameworks to assess these factors:
1- PEST analysis
It is a strategic business tool commonly used by organizations to assess macroeconomic factors that may affect the business. through which the opportunities or threats that may arise from the prevailing political, economic, social, and technological conditions are addressed.
Using this scale will arm you with the information needed to make sound decisions.
2- SWAT analysis
Unlike the previous analysis, the latter helps organizations identify their strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that stand in front of them. In short, it allows organizations to assess the current situation. Despite their differences, these two analyses complement each other and must be performed regularly before starting any planning process.
The third step: operational planning.
This is the step in which strategies are transformed into action plans that can be implemented on the ground. Goals and objectives have been set, and important criteria for measuring each have been identified. Here, it must be emphasized that these plans must be detailed, showing the exact desired goal, the time required to achieve it, and the means of measuring the progress that is being made.
Are you a strategic thinker?
How do you know if you are a strategic thinker or not? In fact, it is not that difficult. The following points show the characteristics of a strategic and non-strategic thinker. You can compare them to determine your thinking style and type.
Characteristics of strategic thinkers:
- Looking ahead and accepting the future no matter what it may bring.
- Willingness to work hard today in order to reap the benefits tomorrow.
- Not adhering to the principles of “experienced” and “best solution” in doing things.
- Giving the greatest importance to the most influential ideas that are likely to produce the best results and the highest profits.
- Changing the methodology for dealing with a specific situation or problem according to the current circumstances.
- Always willing to learn new things and share them with others.
- They are often described as creative individuals who think outside the box.
Characteristics of non-strategic thinkers:
- They often wait to be guided and rarely offer new ideas.
- They focus on the status quo and don’t think about long-term goals.
- They deal with all situations in the same way, without being affected by the different problems or the urgency of solving them.
- They are reluctant to change their strategy, even though they know that doing so may bring them better results.
- They feel complacent with their abilities and have no incentive to learn more.
- Their behavior is easy to predict since they have a consistent way of handling things.
Tips for developing strategic thinking skills
Strategic thinking is a skill like other skills that can be acquired and developed through training and practice. So, if you find yourself lacking the ability to think strategically, do not hesitate to try any of the following tips to develop and enhance it:
1. Set aside time to make progress.
It’s really nice to make sure you solve the problems you face first and focus on the daily tasks that you have to complete, but you should also take some time to think about the future in order to make progress on a personal or professional level. How is that? Here’s the answer:
- First of all, you have to understand that taking time out to plan for your future is a very positive thing and works in your favor. In this way, you are investing in the process of developing yourself and your company over the long term.
- Set your priorities and identify tasks that can be stopped or postponed for some time.
- Sit with yourself and identify any personal problems or obstacles that stand in the way of your professional and career development.
2- Be aware of your biases.
The most important aspect of being a rational thinker is having enough self-awareness to monitor and question your thoughts. What does it mean to think strategically? It means being responsible for your awareness and acknowledging that some of your thoughts may not be entirely correct.
This does not necessarily mean that you underestimate your own credibility; on the contrary, thinking in this way will help you verify the facts and think outside the box to find new and distinct ideas. Ask yourself the following questions to help you determine the validity of your thoughts:
- Is the perspective from which I see things around me realistic?
- What other aspects should I consider that I haven’t?
- What does “my point of view” mean? What am I really trying to say or make clear?
3- Develop your listening skills.
The strategic thinker accepts the fact that his ideas may have holes, and as a result, he listens and listens to others in order to learn more from them and their perspectives. If you are one of those who talk more than they listen, it is time to change this habit and seek to develop listening skills for others through the following:
- Be open-minded and avoid bias.
- Accept other people’s criticism and feedback directed at you.
- Listen carefully to what is being said in front of you, and try to learn at least one thing from what you hear.
- Evaluate what you heard and identify the most important points you learned from others.
4- Develop your questioning skills.
Strategic thinking requires you to question everything. not from a sarcastic point of view but in a constructive way that allows you to see ideas objectively. Just because a particular idea or system of thought is popular and accepted as a standard does not necessarily mean that it should not be questioned.
When you take the time to question a specific topic, it allows for room for improvement and development. Here are some questions you can ask as you develop this skill:
- Is this idea reasonable?
- Is the source of the idea or information reliable? Was it obtained by an expert or through word of mouth?
- What is the evidence that proves and supports this idea?
5. Understand the consequences of every decision you make.
Every choice or decision you make has specific positive or negative consequences. After you have researched, asked questions, and confirmed the various sources of viewpoint before you, consider the implications of each choice various sources of viewpoint before you, consider the implications of each choice. This step plays an important role in making the final decision, and with continuous training, it will become easy.
It is important to consider the consequences of the different scenarios of your decisions so that you can make the right decision. Here are some questions you can ask to find the best outcomes that align with your goal and vision:
- What are the pros and cons of each decision or option?
- Which of these options will best serve my ultimate goals?
- Are there any of these options that offer me long-term opportunities?
In conclusion, it must be emphasized that strategic thinking skills are nothing but a way of thinking and a way to test different things and link them logically to ensure they add value to the individual and the organization. Therefore, it is important to practice it and practice continuously until it turns into a habit that will bring you success and open up horizons for development and excellence in front of you.
Read also: How do I develop my math skills?
